A guide to grade 3: reading and writing skills

Your child has learned the fundamentals of reading and writing in their previous grades and is now ready to flourish through grade 3.

As your child enters 3rd, they are set to go beyond learning how to read and be expected to gain fluency and comprehension. Soon you'll notice your child reading for pleasure, and that's great news, right? Because this becomes a strong foundation for your child's more advanced language skills later in life.

Your little one is halfway through elementary school and may have already become an independent reader and learner. Grade 3 students advance from learning essential reading and writing skills to mastering them and taking on more complex skills.

So let's maintain that spirit and journey towards learning and understanding advanced language skills in grade 3. Remember that the grade 3 curriculum can differ from state to state, but a common theme and pattern is in place to ensure every child meets the overall education standards.

Reading and writing skills your child will be taught in Grade 3

Reading

• Be able to read grade-level text with proper pronunciation, pace, expression, and understanding
• Understand and apply phonic skills
• Read and understand grade-level poetry
• Would ask and answer questions to show an understanding of the text
• Learn how affixes work
• Be able to describe details of characters, the central theme, moral, and how it was conveyed through the details of a text
• Use the context of a text to describe the meaning of words and phrases
• Begin to understand key differences between fiction and non-fiction
• Understand self-correction and re-reads where necessary
• Learn to express opinions about a text and its characters

Writing

• Be able to write a complete, advanced story with a proper beginning, middle, and end
• Understand and correctly use suffixes, prefixes, and homophones
• Use punctuations accurately
• Revise and edit own writing
• Express and pen opinions on the grade-level text
• Write in paragraph format using transitional words
• Write in different literary genres like letters, fiction, personal narratives, and reports
• Recognize and understand parts of speech like verbs, adjectives, nouns

The coming year is going to be one of upskilling and learning. So before school begins, you can help your child hone their reading and writing skills with simple activities at home. You can also ask your child to attempt to read a slightly more challenging book than what they're used to.

For writing practice, have your child write their favorite stories but add their own plot twists. You can also ask them to write letters to their friends or grandparents. Acknowledging and rewarding their efforts encourages them to develop a deep love for reading and writing.

Head on over to byjuslearning.com to learn more about our Active Learning approach to Math, Language, and Reading for children between Pre-K and Grade 3.  

Sources:

https://learning.ccsso.org/common-core-state-standards-initiative